"…According to Kamado-kun's family background, you shouldn't know this."
Shinobu Kocho looked at Takeo seriously as she spoke.
Although she hadn't investigated the Kamado family in depth, she had received some information from the Master.
After all, Takeo's regenerative ability was so extraordinary that it was hard not to question whether he might be some kind of special demon.
As such, Shinobu Kocho was aware that before joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Takeo Kamado was essentially just a country villager. It wasn't an exaggeration.
Since he had never attended school or received a Western education, there was no reason he should know about modern medical science.
Yet now, Takeo was displaying knowledge that didn't align with his background.
Takeo offered no explanation, nor did he feel the need to. He simply continued:
"If Miss Kocho received training in Western medicine, then you should have some understanding of what DNA is."
"Roughly… yes."
Shinobu Kocho nodded.
In truth, she hadn't had extensive exposure to Western medicine. Although Japan was currently undergoing widespread reform and absorbing Western culture on a large scale, the unique nature of the Demon Slayer Corps made it difficult for her to study abroad or access full formal training in Western science.
Most of Shinobu Kocho's medical foundation stemmed from traditional pharmaceutical knowledge. Later, upon the recommendation of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, she began learning Western medical theory alongside a few others.
It had to be said—Shinobu Kocho might truly be a genius in this field. In just a few years, she had mastered the basics and was already innovating, creating a wide range of medicines for the Demon Slayer Corps.
She had even succeeded in mass-producing Wisteria Flower Poison, which was effective against demons, and in a short time developed an antidote to counteract the special toxins used by certain demons.
Because of this, Shinobu Kocho was able to understand what Takeo was talking about.
Takeo then continued:
"I don't know much about these things. It wouldn't be wrong to say I only heard them from others. But based on what I've learned through hearsay... I speculate that there's something unusual in my DNA. It's called a self-healing factor. That's what gives me my rapid recovery ability."
Old Man Logan was a mutant, and mutant powers were rooted in one's genes—Uncle Logan was no exception.
So, if there were a way to extract the mutant genes from his blood, it might not be possible to create new mutants, but at the very least, it could allow others to temporarily gain a similar regenerative ability to Takeo's.
Even if the effect was weak, it could still be enough to save someone's life.
Of course, the scientific development in this world had only just begun, and Shinobu Kocho was, after all, still just an apothecary.
She couldn't be compared to the biologists of future generations and might not be able to extract the self-healing factor.
But… what if?
Even something as unscientific as demons existed in this world. So many people had special abilities and rare physical constitutions.
What if… Shinobu Kocho could truly discover something by studying Takeo's blood?
After listening to everything Takeo said, Shinobu Kocho simply sat there, deep in thought.
She thought for a long time, and Takeo didn't interrupt. He simply sat there quietly, finishing his rice cake.
It wasn't until he finished eating that he finally heard Shinobu Kocho speak:
"Kamado-kun… are you interested in studying pharmacology with me?"
"…Huh?" This time, Takeo was truly speechless.
…
"Master Rengoku, your sword is ready. And… this is Master Kamado's sword as well. Please take it with you."
Kyojuro's personal swordsmith had arrived, bringing several repaired Nichirin swords with him. He respectfully handed the blades over to Kyojuro.
Traveling to the Swordsmith Village wasn't easy, so unless there was a special reason to meet the swordsman in person, only one or two blacksmiths would come out at a time.
This time, Takeo's own swordsmith, Tetsudoji, had been too ashamed to show his face. After all, the Nichirin sword he forged had shattered after only a few months of use. He didn't dare face Takeo directly, so he had asked Rengoku Kyojuro's swordsmith to deliver the weapon on his behalf.
"Yes! Understood! Your craftsmanship is as exquisite as ever! Thank you so much for your service!" Kyojuro unsheathed his Nichirin sword and examined it before loudly praising the smith.
The swordsmith scratched the back of his head, visibly embarrassed.
"No, if my craftsmanship were truly excellent, your blade wouldn't have broken in the first place."
"It was an Upper Rank demon! The fault lies in my lack of strength, not in your blade!" Kyojuro replied with conviction.
"No, no, no, you can't say that. It really is my fault for not being skilled enough…"
"No! You did nothing wrong!" Kyojuro continued, his voice loud and firm.
The swordsmith grew even more embarrassed. After a bit of back-and-forth, he finally said:
"Master Rengoku, when you see Master Kamado, please tell him that Tetsudoji is very sorry his sword broke while fighting an Upper Rank…"
"I'll be sure to pass that on!"
"Then I'll leave it to you."
The swordsmith bowed deeply to Kyojuro before turning to leave.
Kyojuro waved goodbye, then picked up the swords and made his way toward the Butterfly House to find Takeo.
Takeo hadn't been doing much training recently and had been staying inside the Butterfly House. He'd mentioned that he was learning something with Miss Shinobu. Kyojuro didn't fully understand what it was, but learning was a good thing, so he didn't disturb him.
But today was different.
The swords had arrived from the Swordsmith Village, and their missions would soon resume. Kyojuro hadn't forgotten his sparring promise with Takeo.
Before work started again, he needed to speak with Takeo—and that meant interrupting his studies, just this once.
"Takeo Kun!! Your sword has arrived!!"
Standing outside the Butterfly House, Kyojuro shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice practically echoing through the entire estate.
Just seconds after his shout, Takeo came rushing from the distance, leaving afterimages behind—clearly using a Breathing Technique.
Swoosh~!
He stopped in front of Kyojuro almost instantly, the wind generated by his movement making Kyojuro's haori billow.
Seeing Takeo fully recovered, Kyojuro called out cheerfully:
"It's been a few days! You've recovered splendidly!"
"Let's go!" Takeo grabbed Kyojuro by the shoulders and said urgently, "Let's go! Weren't we going to have that sparring match? Let's go right now!!"
"???" A question mark practically hovered over Kyojuro's head—he didn't quite understand Takeo's frantic state.
Was he… scared and running from something? Why? The Butterfly House was perfectly safe.
That was what Kyojuro thought—until the next second, when he understood everything.
At some point, Shinobu Kocho had silently appeared behind Takeo. She placed one hand on his shoulder, her serene smile unchanged.
"Kamado-kun, you still have four more pharmacology lessons to memorize today! Don't try to run away. Ah, Rengoku San—good afternoon."
She turned to Kyojuro and greeted him gracefully.
Kyojuro beamed and returned the greeting with his usual enthusiasm:
"Good afternoon, Miss Shinobu! You're as beautiful as ever today!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Rengoku,"Shinobu Kocho replied with a gentle smile.
Kyojuro then turned to Takeo and noticed that Shinobu still had a firm grip on his shoulder. Takeo didn't dare move a muscle and looked at Kyojuro with pleading eyes that practically screamed: Please save me.
_________
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